The Thing About Money Is
by tascha
Summary: Important: If you don't like gay stories, DON'T read! Summary: My version of the O.C. main character Alex Kelly with lots of drama. Alex will be leaving just as she did in the tv show. She might be back though, I'm a sucker for happy endings
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Thing About Money Is ...

Show: The O.C.

Pairing: Marissa Cooper and Alex Kelly aka malex

Disclaimer: I would like to mention that I am not making profit of this story! The characters are based on Marissa and Alex from the TV show 'The OC' created by Joss Schwartz and belong to whoever has bought the rights on the show. Nevertheless, the storyline belongs to me (except for the part that is taken directly from the show) as well as all characters that are not known from the tv show.

Author's Note: This is not my first story in English but still I would like remind you that I am no native English speaker so you most probably are going to find some mistakes. I re-read the whole thing and ran it through the spell check program but you all know that Word is not perfect and only so intelligent as the programmer… Therefore, in case you do find any mistake keep it to yourself and just try to enjoy the story. Critic on the way I write and the story is more than welcome, though.

**Important: If you do not like gay stories, stop reading right now!**

**Chapter 1:**

Alexandra wore a dark blue expensive satin dress that played around her ankles while she walked down the sandy stairs towards the beach. She was 10 years old and she was supposed to attend a party her parents were throwing on behalf of her tenth birthday. They loved her, she did not doubt that but she rather spent time with her best friend at the beach celebrating her birthday like all the other normal kids did. Playing games and have fun.

Instead she was caught up in this adult version of a birthday party with all those people she hardly knew and treated her like she was a little baby. She was ten years old she did not need to be talked to in baby language. She also hated the old women pinching her cheek, the old men adoring her beauty. She didn't even like this dress she was wearing which her mother had chosen for this day. She had said that it brought out her blue eyes even more and she had looked at her proud and teary. Alexandra though had felt awkward in the dress and being looked at like this by the woman she felt distant to.

Finally after a few hours of ultimate boredom, she had been allowed to open the gifts. She had felt really uncomfortable with all the people staring at her, observing her reaction when she opened one after the other. Everyone was trying to figure out which of the presents was the most pleasing one.

They had all been in for a surprise because she did not care much about the big dollhouse she received that must have cost a fortune. The one thing she cherished more than all the other presents was actually an old used walkman. Only Alexandra herself knew from whom she got this present. It was her fathers and he smiled proudly seeing that his little girl did not care much about all the expensive things but was easy to please.

Christos Kelly was an old gentle man who had worked hard to be where he was now. Sure their family was a wealthy one for generations but it had cost him much to keep it that way. Christos was an American by heart, he had grown up so far away from Greece and he was happy that finally he would be able to show his daughter where he was from. He did not care that his wife wanted to stay in Greece, he was sure she would love the US just as much. Additionally, she would be far away from the man she had been seeing too much lately. He didn't want to lose her. Not because he loved her but he feared that she would take away his only joy.

With a smile he watched his ten year old girl jump down the sandy stairs with the walkman in her hand, playing the tape he had left in there for her, ZZ Top, his favourite band back when he was a teenager. He didn't stop her from going down to the beach. He knew that she would enjoy herself much more down there than in the middle of all these snobs. For her sake he should have been insistent that she would get a party with kids her age but that was not the way it was done in their circles. Sure other kids were around but they were just as snobby as their parents. He couldn't wait send his daughter to a regular school in the US, see her play with friends just as any kid should be able to.

Christos looked over to where his wife was standing, again chatting with her tennis trainer. He sighed, knowing exactly what was going on between the two. He didn't care as much as he should have and he couldn't blame her for it. He wasn't the husband she had wanted, neither was she the wife he had wanted. Even though it wasn't how things were working these days, sometimes marriages were still a pact, business between two families, political and not in the least bit about love. He was a victim of such a marriage, as was his wife. But even more so was their daughter.

The only child they had, the one that was about to inherit all the money and heritage of both families. He hoped to bring her up as the careless little girl she was right now. He hoped she would remain as indifferent towards money as she was right now. Unfortunately, her mother did care about money a whole lot. She loved shopping, dressing up and showing off. He hoped this wouldn't influence Alex – as he called her when his wife wasn't around – that much.

When his little brown haired girl vanished from his sight he joined the conversation again he hadn't paid attention to for the past few minutes, chatting away with friends he surely would miss but could do without.

Two months later Alexandra was sitting in a plane for the first time in her life. Her father had arranged a window seat for her so she was able to see how all the houses, the people became smaller and smaller while they approached the sky and passed the clouds. He loved watching her looking at these things in amazement, pure wonder only a child can muster. His wife sat next to him skipping through a magazine, clearly not happy how her life was turning out. He tried to soothe her: "You will love California, you'll see, you will have lots of friends right away, you'll fit in perfectly!" he looked at her his blues eyes glimmering with excitement. A smile flickered on her lips; he couldn't make out if it was because she didn't believe him one word or because she adored his own eagerness to arrive at Los Angeles Airport. He guessed it was the first so he rather focused on his daughter who practically was clued to the plane window and was as exited about going to the US as he was.

He had been right about everything. Not only was his daughter more happy here in the US, finding lots of friends, playing and running around in the neighbourhood, soon speaking English as if she had never spoken any other language but also his wife had found herself at home here which had mostly to do with the fact that he had bought a house in one of the richest neighbourhoods there was in Los Angeles. They lived amongst other rich people and stars, which she found quite exiting; soon she adjusted to the life full of Pilates and Yoga lessons.

Soon she had also found herself a lover who was secure though as he was a married man with kids. He didn't fear that she would leave him because of that man so he felt safe, finding himself companions every now and then. But most of the time he was working hard.

And his spare time was spent with Alex, showing her some places he had been when he was young, talking to her as if she was already an adult even though she was only a ten year old girl. She learned a lot from him and she adored him for all the things he had done in his life. She loved him more than her mother who was interested in such strange things as buying clothes and dress her up as if she was a doll. She hated those hours and always looked forward to the time she was able to spend at the beach with her friends or her father.

With the years passing Alexandra turned more and more into Alex the tomboy. Clearly, she liked the things boys did more than the things girls her age did. Sometimes she even fought with them, every now and then winning. Her friends also taught her to surf and soon she was better than all of them as she spent most of her spare time in the waves. She was one of them, one of the boys and though her mother found this disturbing her father supported it, especially because she never showed any interest in boys.

She was his little girl and she seemed to stay his little girl whereas the daughters of other fathers started to admire the other sex, started to love them more than their fathers, listening to them instead of the people that had been there for them their whole lives.

His daughter, his little Alex, adored him still and they still spent a lot of time together, though less than when she was younger. What he didn't know was that she grew quite fond of girls her age. Adored them the way the other boys did. After sports she glanced at the other girls a little bit too long, her imagination running wild. And she couldn't really talk to anyone about it. Growing up she had never heard about same-sex relationships, that was something you did not talk about and all her mother had always talked about was that one day she would find a man she loved, marry him and have children.

She knew that what she felt wasn't what she was supposed to feel. She didn't really understand it; she just knew that she was different, as she had always felt. It troubled her a little but then again she was happy: Happy to have good friends as she had, happy to have a father who loved her and adored her, happy with her life. She had now and then a little adventure with a boy but it was never too serious. She never had anything with a girl though, she was too afraid of her own emotions and too scared of the girls she adored who were all clearly and obviously into boys.

Who needs boyfriends... or girlfriends for that matter?

At least that was until Alex met Jody…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Alex was 15 years old at the time and she hung around with the boys at the beach a lot as she had the years before. This one day she was wearing boxers and a wife beater over her bikini as she had been surfing before. Her dark brown hairs with the clear blue highlights – that have given her mother an almost heart-attack and caused her father to laugh out loud – were still wet but slowly dryed in the sun.

They were running after each other playing tag. As they all have had several beers they found the play extremely funny. Darren, a muscular boy with long curly black hairs – Alex's best friend – was chasing after her, laughing. She looked back at him and wanted to say something, tease him a little, when suddenly all the air was pressed out of her lungs and she collided with something or rather someone.

She fell, panting for air, only slowly realizing what was happening. She felt flesh under her and a leg move in between of her legs in a way that caused her to gasp for air. The warmth of the body below her was penetrating through Alex' wet clothes. When she turned her head to look at whomever had caused her to fall she was greeted by a cheeky smile:

"You know, you could have asked, I wouldn't have said no!"

For a moment she just starred at the girl with the puckered up lips, ready to be kissed. Her heart started beating faster and adrenaline rushed through her but she didn't kiss her. She was too shocked, afraid and aware of all the people around her, her friends who knew nothing about her feelings towards other girls.

She jumped, realizing in what kind of situation she was. Darren, who had been able to stop before crushing into the two girls, caught Alex in his arms as he was standing too close and Alex hadn't seen him behind her. He laughed:

"Easy Lex!"

He reached out his hand for the small brunette still lying in the sand:

"Sorry!"

he said on behalf of Alex who seemed to have forgotten her manners or speech for that matter.

The brunette, still smiling cheekily took his hand and got up.

"You know, I don't mind getting thrown into the sand by beautiful girls!"

She winked at Alex who was still standing close by, speechless. Darren just laughed:

"I can relate to that!"

he said smiling at Alex. He could see her squirm on the inside, trying to figure out her emotions. He was the only one who knew about her feelings towards other girls and he saw a chance when it hit him in the arse and he would take it, for his friend's sake:

"I'm Darren, this speechless girl that ran into you is Alex, and who are you?"

he asks, introducing them.

"Jodie!"

the girl answered smiling at Alex:

"Lovely to meet you!"

she said not really looking at Darren at all but looking Alex up and down suggestively.

Another girl approached them, a lanky beautiful redhead. She didn't mind introducing herself but instead wrapped her arms around Jodie's naked and toned stomach, kissing her neck.

Alex' eyes almost fell out of her head while she watched the two interact. Until that day she had never seen to girls kissing other than on TV. Darren as well was starring at the two girls. He had thought about getting Jodie and Alex together but Jodie obviously was already off the market.

Jodie though – after a moment of enjoying the attention from the redhead – wriggled out of her embrace:

"This rude lady here is Jerry, sorry, she's a little crazy, thinks we're a couple!"

she glared at the girl who took a step back glaring back angrily:

"Geez, I thought it was only talk but you really are a slut!"

she said and turned around and walked away, obviously not very pleased with how things turned out.

Darren and Alex, as well as Caden – another friend of Alex' – who had joined the two friends were staring at Jodie as if she was something they had never seen before, which they haven't actually.

The brunette only laughed at the amazement visible on their faces and shrugged her shoulders:

"Just so you know, I'm not a slut. I just enjoy myself now and then. Better than doing it yourself!"

she grinned and looked at Alex directly:

"If you like to enjoy yourself meet me tonight at the Palace, you know the Palace?"

Alex could only nod her head, which made Jodie smirk:

"Okay see you then!"

she said, sure that Alex will be there walking off towards her blanket which was now laying there alone as Jerry had gathered her things and left.

Caden looked at the other two as every teenage boy looks at someone who had just witnessed his wildest fantasy coming true.

"Did you see that, I wish she wouldn't have stopped the girl from kissing her!"

he voiced his thoughts, looking after Jodie in a dreamlike state. Darren hit him on the back of his head playfully, laughing.

"Let's get back to the others!"

he suggested and Caden walked on towards their blankets immediately which left Darren room to talk Alex out of her stupor.

"You know, you should go, tonight!"

he suggested and immediately got her attention.

"You think?"

she asked whispering, afraid anyone else would overhear. Darren smiled encouragingly at his best friend.

"This is your chance Lex, find out if it is for real!"

he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, guiding her back towards their friends. For the rest of the afternoon Alex was thinking about what had happened, Darren understood and covered for her. Still her friends started to wonder what had happened as they knew Alex well and normally she wasn't this quiet.

Alex didn't really care about it and completely ignored the questioning glances. All she could think of was how much at ease Jodie had been with the redhead kissing her. As if it was the most normal thing to do and not something that was not right, something you had to be ashamed for. It amazed her the way Jodie had talked about being with girls, how bluntly she had flirted with her not knowing or caring if she was gay or not. It intrigued her!

And Darren's suggestion had hit home. She could check out the club, meet Jodie and see if what she felt was for real. Just an experiment, it didn't have to mean that she was gay, just checking it out without any strings attached…

---

Darren had walked Alex home that day and tried to encourage her a little more. For once Alex really was like a girl nervous as hell. This was practically a date and she had no clue what would come out of it. Darren almost laughed out loud when she asked him what she should wear for the occasion. They finally decided on a jeans skirt and a black top with some blue in it that fitted her blue streaks and eyes.

"She won't be able to resist you considering that she was about to kiss you in shorts and a wife beater if you would have let her, you look amazing Lex!"

he soothed her and as he didn't get a reaction from her he continued confident:

"You're going to be alright!"

Alex still looked at him worried:

"Can't you tag along?"

she asked again for like the tenth time, he still didn't give in, knew that this was something she had to do on her own.

So when it got dark outside Darren drove her over to the club, the Palace, Jodie had proposed for their date. He practically had to kick Alex out of his car but finally she walked over to the entry. Darren didn't leave until he was sure that she was inside. He just hoped this night would turn out the way Alex wanted it to.

Meanwhile, inside of the club Jodie sat at the bar from where she had a clear look at the entry, as soon as Alex stepped through the door she jumped up, rearranging herself and walking towards the girl, that was clearly not feeling at ease among all these women. She smiled genuinely happy with herself.

"I knew you'd come!"

she screamed over the music beaming from one ear to the other. She took the girls hand dragging her towards the bar:

"Do you want anything to drink? Loosen up a little, looks like you've never done this before!"

Jodie rambles on, trying to make Alex feel comfortable.

"Don't worry, everyone here has gone through this!"

She grinned when she got Alex's first reaction, which she had actually aimed for:

"I'm not gay, I'm not here because I'm gay, I was just curious… I've never met a gay girl before!"

Alex justifies her being in a club that was mainly known for being the meeting place for many gay couples. 'No strings attached' she told herself silently over and over again but the funny thing was that she felt oddly comfortable around all these people. Curiously she watched girls and boys kiss people of the same sex, dance and make out in corners as if it was the normal thing to do. There were actually more homosexual couples around than others and somehow the hetero couples seemed to be more out of place than all the others. Alex watched them while Jodie watched her amused.

When she had finally assessed the situation she turned towards Jodie who she then realized had been starring at her. It made her blush and feel rather insecure.

"Uhm sorry!"

she apologized and she didn't even know for what. Jodie laughed and pointed out the obvious:

"For what? For running into me this afternoon, for giving me a reason to get rid of Jerry, for being here with me?"

Jodie's voice turned rather deep in the end and Alex sat on her bar stool, feeling much more comfortable in the brunette's company.

"Sorry for coming here out of the wrong reasons. I am just curious; I am not interested in a relationship!"

Alex then offered and this caught Jodie a little by surprise. Alex had been so nervous and avoiding the subject until now that the bluntness of the statement almost made her spit out the beer she had wanted to swallow. She furrowed her brows:

"You're saying that you want to have some fun, no strings attached, just because you're curious, and you chose me?"

Alex blushed again and looked away, the nervousness was back and that made Jodie feel more comfortable in her skin. She liked being in charge.

"No problem, as I said this afternoon I am always up for some fun! Well, as long as I am not in a relationship, which I am not!"

she grinned and placed her beer on the counter:

"But let us enjoy the night we have lots of time!"

she got up and took Alex' hand which she then realized was shaking. Oh, the girl definitely had to loosen up a little before they were going to have some fun. She dragged her over to the dance floor:

"Don't be so nervous, I'm not going to tear off your clothes here and now!"

she said, winking, while starting to move to the music. Jodie's easy-going behaviour and the music helped Alex a lot to relax. Her hands stopped shaking and soon she felt comfortable dancing close up to Jodie and every now and then Jodie started to dance very close to her. Every time she did that Alex' heart stopped for a second, her pulse speeding up as it had this afternoon. Adrenaline pulsing through her veins made her more courageous and soon the two of them were dancing close together, brushing here and there and stealing glances at each other. The air got more and more electrified around the two of them and even though they were both sweating and thirsty because it was very hot in the club they didn't want to stop dancing.

Eventually the fast and electrifying music changed to a love ballad. Alex just stood there, not moving, not knowing what to do, occupied with what was happening with her and Jodie, occupied with the feelings that stirred inside of her. Jodie had taken a step towards the taller girl and wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Had Alex not been so occupied she probably wouldn't have allowed Jodie to do that because next to the DJ desk stood Caden, watching the two girls and the song that was currently playing had been their song back when they had been - for a very short period of time - dating.

She wouldn't have been so cruel, she would have considered her friend's feelings but Alex didn't see Caden nor did she realize what kind of song was playing and so she stepped closer to Jodie and wrapped her arms around her shoulders looking at her intensely.

Jodie smiled content with herself:

"So you're curious, how about kissing, do you think you're ready for a kiss?"

Jodie remembered the hesitating look in Alex' eyes when she had joked about kissing her this afternoon. But now, there was something in Alex' eyes that had not been there this afternoon. She saw an unusual intentness flicker in her eyes when her eyes travelled down to her lips. It almost scared Jodie, which usually wasn't an easy task to accomplish. But for the first time she realized that all this meant nothing to the taller brunette, Alex was using her, she was an experiment for her and here she was, falling head over heels…

Usually she was the one using the girls. Never had it been the other way round, but when Alex' lips touched hers all doubts vanished. Jodie's heart jumped and she answered the kiss immediately. Alex had something she just couldn't resist, no matter how hard she tried.

Alex couldn't believe that she had actually found the courage to kiss Jodie but something just drew her to Jodie. Sure she was curious but it was more than that. She had never felt like this before, not with any of the boys she had been with. It was something completely different. She felt amazing when she realized that Jodie responded to her kiss. Though the kiss was good, she suddenly didn't feel as determined to go as far as she had intended to go in the first place. She decided that kissing Jodie was all she would do tonight. She wouldn't sleep with a guy after just meeting him and she wouldn't do it with a girl, no matter how curious she was.

When the song ended Jodie parted slightly and grinned:

"Hmmm I like being your experiment!"

Alex had to laugh, she felt much more secure and at ease around Jodie and all the other homosexual couples now, she felt as if she was part of something.

"Then let's do this again, another time!"

she suggested still holding on to Jodie who immediately had a bigger smile on her face that Alex thought ever possible.

That was the start of Alex's first real relationship. She had fallen hard for Jodie and she was lucky because so had the small Latina.


	3. Chapter 3

Finally another chapter, sorry for not updating for such a long time...

Chapter 3:

Alex – somehow forced by Caden – soon came out to her friends who luckily supported her. Caden was the only one that wasn't happy about Alex' having found herself which was because he had never stopped having feelings for her.

But with time even the lanky boy came to terms with the new situation and as Jodie was introduced to all of them she soon became part of the gang. There was only one thing that Alex didn't dare to do and that was come out to her parents.

She already knew that her mother wouldn't be pleased but she could deal with that. She had never been really close to her and it was almost a sport for her to not please her but to disappoint her father was a different story. She loved him, she adored him and even though she didn't think that he would have such a big problem with her being gay, she didn't dare to tell him. She knew that for her father she was still the little girl that looked up to him, that loved him more than anything else in the world. Some things were just not for fathers to know.

Jodie had always laughed at Alex for being so afraid because she didn't think that they would take it as hard as her own parents had. They had been less open and very religious. As from what Alex had told Jodie the small brunette didn't expect her girlfriend's parents to flip. But the thing is, you never know until you have dared to come out to your parents. And they both were in for a hell of a surprise when – at Alex's 16th birthday – her mother walked in on them and accidentally found out what her daughter had been doing for the past year.

As expected Ms Kelly flipped, she shouted at her daughter that she was a disgrace to her family, a disappointment and that she will break her father's heart. Jodie stood up to her girlfriend and shouted back, telling Alex' mother to get a grip of herself and accept her daughter – who she was supposed to love no matter what – the way she was. It didn't help much, damage was done. From that day on Alex retreated from Jodie, trying to figure out how to prevent that her father would ever know about this. The outcome was that she fought with Jodie a lot, she also quarreled with her parents more than ever before and in the end, everyone was unhappy. Alex though was hurt the most, torn between her parents and her girlfriend who she loved immensely and didn't want to lose.

Darren and her friends tried to help her but they were all at a loss, no one had expected her mother to react this harshly and no one was so sure anymore at how her father would take the news. They all had believed that he would stand behind her, have her back against her mother but after Ms Kelly's statement they were all not so sure about that anymore. Alex believed it the least of all. That was why she kept it a secret until one day he found out.

In a way she broke his heart that day but not because she was into girls. It was because her mother had known for such a long time and he hadn't. It was because his little girl hadn't trusted him enough to tell him. In the first moment he was so disappointed that he didn't talk to her, he just ignored his daughter for days, weeks, months until Alex had enough.

Together with her friends she had found a way to run away from this destructive environment, all of them were supporting her and so she had her mother sign the papers first. She then had her father signing the papers, which was heartbreaking in itself. She stood in front of him, holding the papers out to him. He looked at her, still disappointed and took the papers from her, not knowing what she wanted from him. When he read what it was about he flipped, he shouted, screamed and was so angry that in the heat of the moment he actually signed the papers.

Alex was thrown; she had never expected him to actually sign the papers, to let her go. It had actually been her last try to get through to him but it backfired. With tears streaming down her face she run upstairs and started packing, she just threw in everything and left, without even saying goodbye. She crashed at Darren's first before she moved in with Jodie a few weeks later.

But a thing like this eats at a relationship. Alex wasn't happy, she missed her parents, both, even her mother. Most of all she was hurt and Jodie – even though she had no contact with her family anymore – didn't seem to understand. She felt alone, trapped and unhappy. For a short time period she started drinking excessively, she skipped school and got kicked out. She joined another one with the help of her mother and got kicked out again. Nothing worked out anymore, she totally lost it and her friends – though they tried – couldn't get through to her. She retreated more and more and the only thing she still enjoyed was surfing.

At one point, it was shortly before her 17th birthday she heard a few strangers talk about this contest in Newport and somehow the name of this city got stuck in her head. This contest was one thing she could look forward to. She trained for it hard and then, one day, she packed her things, got into her jeep and drove off, leaving Jodie a letter that this was it; that she couldn't do it anymore, that she had to get away.

Once she passed the city limits from Los Angeles she felt strangely free and at ease, finally she could breathe again. She enjoyed the few days in Newport and actually did very good in the surf competition. She didn't win, but she had some fun. Something she hadn't had in a few years. Newport Beach was also the place where she met an old friend, a club manager from LA, her former boss. He was about to open a club in Newport and was still looking for a manager for the club while he was back in LA. He trusted her and, therefore, he suggested that she'd receive this job.

Alex was thrown by the opportunity. With the salary she would get she would be able to rent a small apartment near the beach and be able to surf every day. She wouldn't have to go back to school, not to be near her family who had disappointed her so much, not be near anyone who knew what had happened. She could start new, start over, and be someone else.

It only took her a few hours before she took out his card to call him and accept the offer. Once she had done so she went to a liquor store and bought herself a bottle of Vodka. She celebrated down at the beach, alone. That was what she was now, alone.

Even though it was pure freedom that she felt it also hurt but the bad feelings were soon drowned in the liquor…

Alex soon felt at home in Newport, made some new friends as for example Mandy, her co-worker at the Bait-Shop and Ned, the Manager who looked out for her and helped her getting settled. She called Darren and the rest of the boys once she had settled down and invited them over. She contacted all of her old friends letting them know she was better and that she has moved, she invited all of them except Jodie. She just wasn't ready to face her again, yet.

Everything in her life changed and so she decided she also was in need of a major make over. Next thing she saw looking into a mirror was a blonde girl. It didn't look bad just not very familiar. She felt strange looking at this person but it also gave her a reassuring feeling. She had been able to get rid of her past, all of it. Still just blonde didn't work for her so she wanted to add some colour, it took days until she decided on purple and she messed it all up. Instead of having several streaks she ended up with one. It looked fine though and she kinda liked it.

Ned almost got a heart-attack when he saw her after that make-over, thinking someone had broken into the Baitshop and was going to point a gun at him in the next second when she turned around to face him and he realized it was his new employee. She giggled at the expression on his face and Mandy and her were teasing him for months with it.

It was a new life, a quieter life but soon enough the past came rushing back.

First it was when Darren arrived and updated her on everything that was going on back in LA. He also had news from her parents, her mother actually. She had asked him to give her a note, which he only did after reading it (just to make sure Alex wouldn't get hurt anymore). He felt save giving it to her, it contained an apology and she pleaded her daughter to come back.

Alex had read it more than just once, trying to figure out what to do. Part of her wanted to rush back home part of her knew she couldn't. Too much had happened, all of them were hurt and the letter did not come from the person it should have come from. Though her mother told her that her father felt bad, Alex couldn't really believe it. In her stubbornness she believed that her father had signed the papers because he didn't want a daughter like her. And no matter what the people around her tried, she wasn't to be convinced otherwise. Unless he would do so and that was something everyone knew wasn't going to happen because Alex' stubbornness was only matched by her father's.

Alex came accustomed to the feeling of being rejected by him, it was a dull pain she kept hidden most of the times, which she drowned in alcohol whenever it became too much to bear. She worked with Mandy and Ned all through summer, getting everything set-up and ready for the grand opening of the new club in town. She was proud of what they accomplished and so was Ned. He felt at ease to leave her to run the club, he trusted her and Mandy completely. He would stay for the opening night but then he would leave and go back to LA.

Alex couldn't believe her luck, she was barely seventeen years old and running a club in Newport. She felt proud to have accomplished something; she had not been able to finish school but she was able to run a club. Sure it was hard work but she loved it. She loved the club, her new life and she felt happy, at least sometimes.

On other occasions, when she felt truly lonely she would call Darren who would come down by himself or accompanied by some of the boys and they would party and go surfing just like when they were younger. It was a good life, not perfect but she was okay with it.

Then her mother started calling her on her cell on a weekly basis, checking up on her, making sure she was alright, always asking her to come back home. The conversation was practically the same every time she called. "What? – Mom no! – I don't know, maybe. - Okay, I love you too, and say hi to Daddy!" It started to be a ritual of theirs and somehow Alex was glad that her mother cared enough to call her over and over again but she was also annoyed by it. Most of the time she couldn't really make out what she really wanted out of life, she was torn between the love for her new job, her new life here in Newport and the love for her parents, her family, the live she had led back in Los Angeles, protected against all the bad stuff in the world.

Missing her old life became more intense when she got to know Seth Cohen, a lanky, curly haired comic-loving skater boy that didn't really fit into the world of the rich and famous. One day he just appeared in the bait shop out of nothing, startling her, which caused her to almost break his arm. He was a wimp really and nothing like the boys she was hanging out with but he was also funny and careless, he was head over heels in love with this one girl, Summer and that was the reason he started working at the Baitshop. She found it ridiculous that one would clean toilettes and get rid of puke and other stuff she'd rather not think about just to receive two Tickets for the Walkman show for his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend. He was so convinced that he was doing it out of the right reasons that Alex did give him the chance to earn the tickets, if partly just out of curiosity.

And she was right, his selfless act turned around once Summer arrived alone at the Baitshop. Alex was sure her new friend would fuck things up so she tried to support him by talking to him, maybe trying to make his girl jealous, if only a little. But it didn't work out, he still fucked up and left her sorting out the mess, cleaning the puke and the toilettes.

She couldn't really stay angry with him for long though, he was miserable the next day and apologized for everything. At least he had realized his mistakes. That was part of his charm. And his blabbermouth! Alex didn't think she had ever met anyone talking this much. Seth Cohen was constantly analyzing everything and he was also analyzing her when he once witnessed one of the calls from her mother. She lied to him, only a little, she couldn't handle him pushing her to go back home, so she told him that it had been her fault and that her parents had kicked her out.

She was also helpless against his naïve charm, his boyish behaviour and that was why she agreed to spend her one free night with him and Ryan and this other girl at the Baitshop. Seth called it a group-hang and Alex – having experience in this area – knew it wouldn't turn out very well. But she'd rather be there to help him sort his mess than leave him drowning. That's how she felt around him, protective as if he were a little boy that needed to be taken care of.

Once they all met, awkwardness levels rose to 100. This definitely wasn't such a bad idea if the couples would have been mixed a little different. Alex looked the redhead up and down. She was cute, cuter than Ryan and Seth and she would tell Seth so, if he would ask her that question. Luckily it wouldn't come to that. And now they were all standing as far away from each other as possible, trying to find something to talk about. Yeah, this definitely was a great idea Seth!

On top of it all the boys' ex-girlfriends showed up. Summer and Seth immediately started fighting, showing off their 'dates', which was ridiculous to watch. She already pitied Summer's new boyfriend as it was obvious that both of them were still hung-up on each other. Then her eyes wandered to Ryan's ex who she had just been introduced to, or well they had introduced them. Ryan obviously didn't think knowing their ex-girlfriend's names was essential. The beautiful girl was looking her up and down. Obviously she was still hung up on him as well. How could she? He was boring, cute though, but boring.

Alex stared back at her but out of a complete different reason, she didn't measure her competition instead she admired her. It surprised her a little because ever since she had left LA and Jodie she had not thought about letting someone new into her life. She had guarded her heart and not looked at people the way she was looking at the girl now.

She was beautiful, her long dirty-blonde hair fell curly on her shoulders, her body slim but yet curved in the right places and she had cute freckles over her nose. She looked rich, not snobby rich but her clothes were definitely of the more expensive kind. Her mother would probably have wished that Alex was walking around like this. It wasn't Alex' style though but the girl looked amazing. But what really caught her attention were the girl's blue eyes. They were beautiful and deep, it was as if Alex could see the girl she was in them, see the pain and the loneliness. Well she didn't know her, she didn't know if she was right but to her she looked like a caged doe, afraid and lonely.

They soon parted which Alex regretted, she would have loved getting to know the girl a little better and now she was stuck with Ryan alone as Seth was downstairs with Lindsay, obviously talking to her about Summer. Poor girl, she could only imagine how Lindsay must feel and had to chuckle. Way to go Seth, blabber about your ex-girlfriend on a date. She looked over at Ryan who was observing the two of them as well. It was obvious he'd rather be with Lindsay and she couldn't blame him. They didn't match at all. So when the concert ended she offered:

"Maybe you should tell her."

What followed this observation was probably the best conversation they had for the whole night. She didn't feel offended at all when he left, well maybe a little but mostly she was occupied with her own thoughts of what had happened tonight. Was she ready for other relationships? Was it over between her and Jodie? She had definitely not talked to her in a long time. But they never really split. She had just left and she felt bad about that. She observed the people in the club, watching it getting emptier until only a few people were left.

Seth came back to say goodnight and to apologize. He felt miserable, Alex could easily tell by his dejected behaviour. It was cute and she felt the absurd urge to cheer him up, so she followed him.

"Hard to believe all those girls running out on you!"

she stated, watching him walk towards the stairs.

"Are you trying to make me feel better?

He turned half way around to look at her, took the first few steps up the stairs.

"What? With you being so bratty and immature…"

Alex shot back and smiled, watching him from afar, leaning at the doorframe.

"Oh good, you weren't!"

He's so cute when he's defeated, she thought and pushed away from the doorframe and walked slowly towards him. Maybe she was ready for something new. Maybe with a guy, maybe that would please her parents, maybe it would piss off Jodie, and maybe it was not the right thing to do. She still kept on flirting:

"And even sometimes a little charming…"

She pointed out, a smile playing about her lips.

"Especially, when you're not talking about Summer!"

she adds in a lecturing tone and watches him squirm:

"I know, I just…"

He wants to apologize, explain. He doesn't have to, Alex understood. He was still in love with Summer, so maybe that was why she felt so drawn to him. He was safe.

"And knowing is half the battle, so perhaps there's a little hope for you yet!"

she grinned, distracting him from what he was about to say.

He smiles, flattered, not sure what to do next. When he asks her for ice cream Alex laughs out loud. Oh he was definitely immature but funny and cute. She turns around the stairs, without answering him and when he stands in her way she just presses her lips on his, kissing him. It felt good, especially seeing his dumfounded face afterwards. It had been worth it.

They went for ice cream and it was – in comparison to the awkward group-hang/date with Ryan – very nice.

She enjoyed hanging out with Seth Cohen. She really liked him for the strange dude he was, for how different he was to the other guys she hung out with. He was her constant, her good guy. And he was safe, she kept that in the back of her mind.

Safe!


End file.
